Lithuania beats Bok, NZ record

Vilnius - Lithuania's 18th consecutive Test win at the weekend surpassed the international rugby record held by New Zealand and South Africa.

Lithuania beat Serbia 77-5 on Saturday for its 18th straight victory since May 2006, including a dozen different countries in Europe's fourth tier.

New Zealand's All Blacks won 17 Tests from September 1965 to June 1969, and they were matched by South Africa's Springboks from August 1997 to November 1998.

The Lithuanians are gearing up for World Cup playoffs next month against Ukraine, the winner of which will meet Romania to determine Europe's representative in the continental playoffs for a berth in next year's tournament in New Zealand.

Comments

The Oracle - 2010-04-26 16:17

Total BS. Didn't even know they played rugby!!!

REALLY - 2010-04-26 16:18

Lets be realistic here SA and NZ were playing top class teams where as Lithuania are playing below average teams. I garantee you if NZ or SA played Isreal or Andoraa the scores would go into 3 digits....

Baas Koos - 2010-04-26 16:21

oh wow..... let them play the top nodges too then.... never even heard of them but congrats in any way!

Playing in the 4th Tier and competting against the 1st (SA, NZ, Aus, Eng,....) is a whole different "ball" game...........but good luck with that......

michael - 2010-04-26 16:35

haha. .. including a marvellous win over powerhouse Andorra who had to field 3 Under 16's and 2 women to make a full side

Delorean - 2010-04-26 16:36

Agreed. One clown shoe having a run of wins against other clown shoes doesn't count for didly.

Impi - 2010-04-26 16:40

Well done Lithuania. Your record serves to educate those who think only certain countries play rugby. Sorry I missed the game against Hungary - must have been a nail-bitter!

Arthur - 2010-04-26 16:48

WOW, WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT, SURELY IT IS NOT RECOGNISED BY THE IRB.

Bee - 2010-04-26 16:49

For any team to be able to be that consistant shows great potential, yes they wont be able to beat the likes of SA, NZ. AUS, FRANCE, ENG, etc give credit were it is due they are the top of the legue in which they are playing and only means greater future competition to come if they can keep it up

CJ - 2010-04-26 16:50

Funny that neither SA, nor NZ have played again ANY of those teams...should be an indication of standards but I guess there are no standards in records any more!

chris - 2010-04-26 17:08

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........app it was a great test match...

Chad - 2010-04-26 17:16

If those are f#@&%ng TESTS, then SA and NZ must be playing EXAMS!!!

nooit - 2010-04-26 17:18

if we played those teams people will die

Fanatic - 2010-04-26 17:21

Their record might mean as little as Ryan ten Doschate (Netherlands) holding the world record for the highest ODI Average, but it does confirm that rugby is indeed becomming a global sport!! Although all three the Southern Hemisphere giants will most probably put three figures against all of the teams mentioned in the record (as will most of the Super-14 teams...), it might be just what the docter oderred to really inject some excitement into the game in these countries. Well Done!!

Varktjop - 2010-04-26 17:28

I believe Lithuania also enforces the QUOTA system. No more than 5 bearded women allowed on the field at any given time.

Alan Madine - 2010-04-26 17:30

I love things like this. Rugby is the best sport in the world and the supporting the smaller unions will only benefit the game we all love. And if they reach the RWC, can you imagine the thrill it would be for them to play against some of the big teams. Even if their onto a hiding to nothing, they will never forget it. Think back to when Georgia played the Boks in RWC 2003 - one of the front row guys diplocated his shoulder and asked for it to be put back in on the pitch so he could carry on playing. He was just so thrilled to be playing against the Boks. A few years ago i met a few Georgian guys and they spoke fondly of the game which they still talk about to this day. Big respect and appreciation for the small unions. O'Hara.

Craig - 2010-04-26 17:47

Its a record that should be kept to the lower levels. How ever congratulations to Lithuania! Rugby needs developments and any side at these levels needs praise, why? If sides develop & improve structures & IRB come to assist you will not get a result like this. IRB 7's is an example of the development of this type of situation.

The Godfather - 2010-04-26 18:06

Why not just hand the record to my brother's u/13 team? Surely this is a April fools prank. Good one Sport24.

Stephen - 2010-04-26 18:33

Sorry but that is Crap

Richard LC - 2010-04-26 18:35

I work with a super hot Lithuania girl, now if i tell her this story tomorrow says gonna tell me, that she didn't even know they had a rugby team. Anyhow good on them!

Nigel - 2010-04-26 18:38

And if they play against the Lions next, they'll make it 19 in a row!

BullsRob - 2010-04-26 18:57

Sorry to do this but if you're going to count the minor leagues then SA and NZ never held the record anyway! Argentina did with 20 games!!!
http://www.rugbydata.com/argentina/mostwinsinarow
Take a look for yourselves. Popular mis-conception this one.

pdw - 2010-04-26 23:03

What are you guys whinging about? Just be happy that they play the game in Lithuania (and all the others) Give 'em a couple of years, the game is still pretty young up there, these 'unions' are really amateurs, getting by on sponsorships and goverment grants. They also concentrate more on getting the youth involved - good luck to them. We should start worrying when the vodka fountains run dry. (Some BIG bliksems hiding behind the Iron Curtain! Make Kobus Wiese look like Garth Wright!)

Brett - 2010-04-26 23:07

You arrogant and ignorant dimwits! APPLAUD LITHUANIA! The game must spread across the world and we should be encouraging them. Think of cricket - Sri Lanka used to be a non-contender, laughed off - then they became world champions! The more countries playing rugby the better - it becomes a truly international sport - and not a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP game like they have in the states for their sports when one state plays another. Ridiculous.

Willie - 2010-04-27 00:21

Congratulations BUT let's just make that a record in the "Special Division".
It certainly can't be compared - don't care how you look at it.
It is the same as the record scores NZ 130-Lithuania 3 or something like that!!!

Bootman - 2010-04-27 07:23

Agreed Brett. For them playing Hungary is like us playing NZ. This is an achievement and I for one am happy for them. Saying it's bullshit is like shooting down Griquas for winning the Vodacom Cup.

Poison Dwarf - 2010-04-27 09:20

NICE!

Eshowe - 2010-04-27 11:04

Give them a break guys, they are consistant. Looking forward to them getting even better. Lithuania also boasts some mind bogglingly hot chicks, so don't tune them!

Stormin Plett - 2010-04-27 14:30

Does Armenia have a full team

This will be a record.... - 2010-04-27 15:32

Lets see them play against our FULL strength squad...then we'll see a bunch of records made incl: Highest score (I estimate 290-0), first game where every player in team scores a try(South Africa), most jokes made by players on the field(by South Africa) and most injuries(game will be stopped in the 38th minute due to lack of subs by lithuania). Suck'it!

BHA HA HA HA - 2010-04-28 11:14

its funny how they count those games im sure there is some primery schools 1st teams who can take those teams on... how funny wil it be if they dont even qualify for the world cup

Lith. player - 2010-04-28 22:07

Wahahahaha!:D:D:D:D Thats cool ! its already achievement that you are speaking about !!!
Seriously, guys, do not forget that our team - yard amateur team!! Since we are all working people, at free time we just play rugby, is it a crime here?:D:D Dont wary, we did not ask for this record and we understand that this record does not equal to NZ or SA record or others!
As we dont have coaches who would know this sport, we always watch rugby matches of NZ, SA, FR, ENG and other big rugby teams and try to learn the combinations! If you -commentators - want us to play against NZ or SA - always please, the result would be 0: "a lot" but it would be great honor for us and amazing experience!
God luck and in oval world, and you all are welcome to come in Lithuania, play with us!